We go to the bullpen for our second podcast of 2017 and welcome in our new “regular” guest, Giants reliever George Kontos. He is slated to join us most home stands for “Kontos Inside The Pen”

Photo courtesy of William Yee

Kontos, who was a Cubs fan growing up in Chicago, tells The Sports Virus about his emotions during the 2016 post season which ended with a title for the team that beat San Francisco in the playoffs: “The 8-year-old inside me was ecstatic, but the grown-up pitcher in me was not really thrilled about it, just how we ended. If they really deserved to beat us I think I might have felt a little bit differently, but I think that we did a little bit of beating ourselves in that (NL Division) series. I think that on the field we were the better team. and we deserved to win, but we just didn’t play to our capabilities in that last game and they won and they deserved it…Now that it’s healed a little bit, I’m happy for the city of Chicago and for the Cubs organization for ending that drought.”

Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

As we head into the final 6 games of the season we chat with Giants reliever George Kontos and Giants catcher Trevor Brown.

Kontos talked to The Sports Virus about the state of mind in the bullpen:

… “When the phone rings it could be any of us. Anybody in that bullpen has a chance to contribute in a big spot…We all have confidence in each other and anybody who gets the ball is going to be called on to get some big outs. I think we’re going to do that in these last 6 games.”

Brown told the The Sports Virus the Giants are optimistic:

… “We’re still battling. We all know that we’re still in a good spot and have a chance to make the playoffs.”

Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

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Giants reliever George Kontos joined us Wednesday before the game against the Red Sox.

Kontos took The Sports Virus inside the Giants bullpen: “We trust in one another like we have in the past, although guys are being used a little bit differently, a little bit more match-up style I would say this year. When one guy comes out with his runs on base you trust that the next guy is going to come in and do his job to pick each other up as well. That’s what I think has made us so successful over the past 5 or 6 years. Everyone goes out there and you pitch for one another, you do your job and that’s how we’ve come on top in those close games that we’ve become so accustomed to being on top of.”

Welcome to the INSIDE CHINA BASIN Giants Podcast

We continue our spring training coverage chatting with two players who were an important part of the last two championship teams for the Giants, pitcher George Kontos and outfielder Gregor Blanco.

Kontos tells The Sports Virus that “you’re not going to be able to replace a Jeremy Affeldt. My locker was next to his every day I ever spent in the Major Leagues with Giants. I’m going to miss him. I know the team is going to miss him. His experiences and his knowledge about the game really helped me and molded me into the pitcher that I’ve become in the Major Leagues now.”

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